Redefining Ready! Cohort

Where Preparation Meets Purpose: College, Career and Life Readiness

Room of graduates with caps and gowns

A diploma should open doors — not leave students guessing what comes next. The Redefining Ready! Cohort is where district leaders come to build the systems that make college, career, and life readiness more than a goal. It becomes a reality.

Learning Objectives:

You'll dive deep into one of the most consequential questions in K-12 right now: How do we design and scale student pathways that create real postsecondary options? Through virtual sessions and in-person site visits, you'll examine:

  • How to build coherent pathways that connect coursework, credentials, and real-world experience
  • What strong industry partnerships look like — and how to build and sustain them
  • How to embed dual credit and early college into student pathways as a feature, not an afterthought
  • What equitable, high-quality work-based learning requires at the systems level
  • How to measure readiness in ways that actually reflect where students are headed

This is collaborative, practitioner-driven learning for district leaders who are serious about delivering on the promise of public education — and giving every student a real path forward.

    Who should participate?

    Any district leader who is interested in furthering the Redefining Ready! initiative and mission, particularly superintendents, assistant superintendents, district office staff and principals.

    Program Dates and Details
    2026 - 2027 Meeting Schedule

    Virtual Meetings

    All virtual meetings will be held from 1:00pm - 2:30pm ET on the following dates:

    • September 10, 2026: Designing Student Pathways that Deliver College, Career, & Life Readiness
    • October 8, 2026: Industry Partnerships that Strengthen College, Career, & Life Readiness
    • January 14, 2027: University Credit Embedded in Student Pathways
    • April 8, 2027: Measuring College, Career, & Life Readiness Through Pathway Outcomes

    In-Person Meetings

    November 16 - 18, 2026: Cohort Site Visit | Cajon Valley Unified School District (Calif.) | This site visit is exclusively for registered cohort members and their teams!

    April 26 - 28 2027: Igniting the Future Summit 2027 | Mayfield School District (Ohio) | This summit is open to all leaders. Registered cohort participants receive one complimentary Summit registration and can add team members at a discounted rate.

     

    2025 - 2026 Meeting Schedule

    All virtual meetings will be held from 1:00pm - 2:30pm ET on the following dates:

    • September 11, 2025
    • November 13, 2025
    • January 8, 2026
    • April 9, 2026

    In-Person Meetings

    October 22 - 24, 2025: Cohort Site Visit | Carson City School District (Nev.) | This site visit is exclusively for registered cohort members and their teams!

    March 9 - 11, 2026: Igniting the Future Summit | Mansfield ISD (near Dallas, Texas) | This summit is open to all leaders. Registered cohort participants receive one complimentary Summit registration and can add team members at a discounted rate.  Register Today.

    Partners

    We're really putting our kids in a position to be the next generation of great employees, great citizens, and great people.
    Paul Kelly

    Principal, Elk Grove High School District 214 (Ill.)

    Details

    September 10, 2026 to April 28, 2027

    Registration is now open for the 2026-27 academic year!

    $2,250

    Member Price

    $2,750

    Non-Member Price

    Not a member? Join today.

    Register Today!

    Contact

    • Debbie Magee

      Director, Leadership Network

      AASA, The School Superintendents Association

      dmagee@aasa.org

      703-875-0716

    2023 RR! Fall Meeting

    View the Redefining Ready! photo album from the cohort's 2023 fall visit to Mansfield Independent School District (Texas)

    Redefining Ready participants visit Texas

    View Album

    Impact of RR!

    Superintendents Christopher Nesmith (Washington) and Randy Squier (N.Y.) discuss the impact of AASA's Redefining Ready! cohort.

    AASA Leadership Network

    The Leadership Network Advantage

    Premier professional learning for educational leaders at any stage of their careers.

    No matter where you are in your leadership journey, AASA’s Leadership Network programs help you grow and thrive to support you in meeting the needs of your school community!

    Learn More